Closure applying apparatus



May 8, 1962 w; s. STERLING CLOSURE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed April 16. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 8, 1962 w. s. STERLING CLOSURE APPLYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1959 INVEN TOR.

h /zr' United States Patent 3,032,949 CLOSURE APPLYING APPARATUS Walter S. Sterling, Quincy, Mass, assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass, 21 corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 806,800 6 Claims. (Cl. 53-128) This invention relates to closure applying apparatus.

The invention has for an object to provide novel and improved apparatus particularly adapted for handling and applying to containers press fit closures of the type having an opening in the end wall thereof in a novel, simple and efficient manner.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the closure applying apparatus hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section-a1 view illustrating a closure applying head embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view partly in cross section of a portion of the applying head shown in .FIG. 1 and illustrating a closure supported on the applying head;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the closure handled by the pres ent apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation partly in cross section showing the closure being applied to a container;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the applying head inan upraised position; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view partly in cross section of a container provided with the present press fit closure and with a second closure comprising a screw cap.

In general the present invention contemplates novel closure handling and applying apparatus, including a plurality of closure applying heads, each provided with a closure pickup and pressure applying unit particularly adapted to support a press fit closure of the type having an opening in the end wall thereof and to apply the closure to the container in a simple and practical manner. The particular closure handled by the present apparatus comprises an inner closure or dispensing insert for a so-called plastic squeeze bottle wherein the opening provided in the end wall of the closure is used for discharging the contents of the bottle upon application of pressure against the sides of the bottle. A second or outer closure comprises a screw cap applied to the exteriorly threaded neck of the bottle and may be applied by other means forming no part of the present invention.

The present invention is illustrated as embodied in a rotary closure applying machine of the type illustrated and described in the United States patent to Arthur C. Everett, No. 2,082,048, issued June 1, 1937. Such prior closure applying machines are provided with closure supporting means adapted to grip the exterior of the closure during the applying operation. The present press fit closures are not adapted to be handled by' such exterior gripping ele ments usually associated with the prior applying heads, and in accordance with the present invention each applying head is provided with means for frictionally engaging the closure through the opening in the end wall thereof in a manner such as to enable the closure to be firmly supported during the application thereof to the container and to enable the frictionally engaging means to be withdrawn from the opening after the closure has been applied as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for applying closures to containers, only a sufiicient portion of the machine being herein illustrated to enable the invention to be understood. The construction and mode of operation of the "ice closure applying machine, except as hereinafter pointed out, may comprise that disclosed in the Everett Patent No. 2,082,048, above referred to, and to which reference may be made, and it is believed to be suflicient to state that in the operation of such a closure applying machine the containers are conveyed into closure applying position by suitable conveying mechanism, and provision is made for automatically feeding the closures into a position to be automatically engaged by the closure supporting and applying mechanism. Provision is also made for relatively moving the applying mechanism and the container to bring the closure into engagement with the top of the container to effect application of the closure.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the closure applying head indicated generally at 10 comprises a housing 12 mounted for vertical reciprocation in a cylindrical casing .14, and in operation the closure applying heads are arranged to revolve about a central supporting shaft, not shown, it being understood that the containers to be provided with closures are being conveyed into alignment with the closure applying heads 10, and provision is made for lowering and raising the housings 12 into and out of closure applying engagement with the containers during such revolving movement about the central shaft. As herein shown, each housing 12 is provided with a cam roll 16 carried by a collar 18 secured to the housing, the cam roll 16 being extended through a slot in the casing and arranged to co: operate with a cam path formed in a stationary cam 20 secured to the central shaft. In operation the closure applying head is first lowered to receive a closure from a transfer arm indicated at 22 forming a part of the closure feeding mechanism, and upon receiving the closure the closure applying head 12 is elevated and is then again lowered to apply the closure to a container being moved along in alignment therewith, as fully described in the Everett Patent No. 2,082,048.

The plastic squeeze bottle container 24, shown in FIG. 6, is provided with an inner closure 26 and an outer closure 28. The inner closure 26 comprises a hollow plastic press fit dispensing insert having an end wall 30 provided with a central opening 32 through which the contents of the squeeze bottle are forced by pressure applied to the sides of the bottle when the outer closure is removed. The outer closure 28 comprises a screw cap applied to the exteriorly threaded neck of the bottle.

Since the screw closure 28 may be easily handled and applied in a closure applying machine of the type illus trated in the Everett patent above referred to, the present invention does not concern itself with application of the screw closure. The present invention is directed to provision for applying the dispensing insert 26, and since only a pressing operation is required for applying the insert, it will be apparent that no rotary movement of the housing 12 on its own axis is required in the present embodiment of the invention, and reference to the Everett Patent No. 2,082,048 contemplates the elimination of the rotating mechanism therein shown.

As herein shown, the closure handling and applying unit embodied in the present apparatus is indicated generally at 34 and includes a pointed pin or piercing element 36 formed at the lower end of a plunger rod or pressure applying element 38 mounted for axial sliding movement in a vertical bore 40 formed in a depending hub por tion 42 of a flange member 44. The flange member 44 is fitted in a recessed portion formed in the underside of the housing 12 and is secured thereto by bolts 46 as shown. The upper end of the rod 38 is provided with a head portion 48 fitted within an enlarged diameter portion 50 of the bore 40, the underside of the head normally bearing against the shouldered portion 52 formed by the enlarged bore Sit. The upper end of the bore 50 is closed by a plate 54 fitted into a recess 56 formed in the upper face of the flange member 44, the plate being secured to the flangemember by screws 58. A compression spring 60 within the bore 56 bears against the underside of the plate 54 and the top of the head 4-8 to urge the pressure applying rod 38 outwardly with the underside of the head portion 48 hearing against the shoulder 52 as shown in FIG. 2.

As herein illustrated, each closure pickup and applying pin 36 is formed integrally with and depends from the lower end or bottom surface of the pressure applying rod 38, such lower end providing a shouldered surface 62. In the preferred form of the invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the pin 36 is provided with a lower conical portion 64 and an upper portion 66 defining a frustum of a cone. The lower conical portion 64 is pointed, and the base or large diameter end of the cone 64 defined by the line 68 coincides with the base of the frustum the upper end or smaller diameter of the frustum lying in the plane of the shouldered surface 62. Thus, the pin 36 is provided with an intermediate large diameter portion 68 which in practice may be of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the opening 32 in the end wall 39 of the inner closure or press fit insert 26 being handled.

In operation the housing 12 together with its attached closure pickup and applying unit 34 is lowered into operative engagement with the press fit insert 26 to pick up the same from the transfer arm 22, the pin 36 being inserted through the opening 32 to extend the large diameter portion 63 through and beyond the opening and with the end wall 30 of the insert bearing against the underside or shouldered surface 62 of the pressure applying rod 38 as shown in FIG. 2. It will be observed that the end wall 3% is provided with an outer lip or flange 31 for engagement with the upper edge of the mouth of the container. in practice the plastic insert 26 may be of a semielastic material, and while having a relatively low modulus of elasticity it will be of suificient resiliency so as to withstand slight stretching of the opening 32 when the large diameter portion 68 of the pin is extended therethrough, and so that the opening will contract slightly about the smaller diameter end of the frustum 6d. The insert 2d will thus be frictionally retained on the pin 36 as shown in FIG. 2. In the continued operation of the apparatus the housing 12 is elevated with its closure and is then again lowered into operative engagement with the container 24 moved along in alignment therewith, the slightly tapered end of the insert 26 entering the mouth of the container. Upon further lowering movement of the housing the insert will be resiliently pressed into the mouth of the container until the lip flange 31 engages the upper edge of the container mouth. It will be seen that the pressure is applied by the bottom surface 62 of the rod 38 against the end wall 3% of the insert and that the lowering movement of the housing 12 provides a slight overthrow so that the rod 38 will be moved upwardly in its supporting hub 42 to compress the spring 60 as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the insert is resiliently pressed into the container with suflicient force to seat the insert in tight frictional engagement with the mouth of the container. The semiresilient character of the plastic material and the relative diameters of the insert and the mouth opening may be such as to provide a tight frictional engagement between the insert and the container sufiicient to resist withdrawal of the insert upon removal of the pin 36 since in use the dispensing insert is designed to become a permanent part of the container and is not required to be removed from the container at any time.

It will be observed that the closure applying apparatus includes container clamping members 70 arranged to grip and support the container 24 during its movement with the closure applying head, as fully described in the Everett patentreferred to, and after seating of the insert 26 in the container, as described, the housing 12 is again elevated to withdraw the pin 36 from the opening 32, the insert being frictionally retained in the container with sufiicient force so as to permit withdrawal of the pin through the relatively smaller diameter opening with out displacement of the insert in the container. The gripping action of the clamping members 70 also prevents upward displacement of the container during the pin withdrawing operation.

The container thus provided with its dispensing insert may then be discharged from the apparatus and delivered to a second and similar machinehaving different applying elements adapted to grip and apply the screw closures 23 to the exteriorly threaded neck of the containers as illustrated in the Everett patent, No. 2,082,048.

From the above description it will be seen that the present closure applying apparatus is particularly adapted for applying to containers press fit closures of the type having a dispensing opening in the end wall thereof in a simple and efiicient manner. It will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited for use with plastic closures and containers since it will be apparent that the present invention may be used with equal advantage for applying closures of other materials to containers of other materials.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. Closure applying apparatus particularly adapted for applying to containers closures having a preformd opening in a Wall thereof comprising a supporting housing, means for reciprocating said housing, and a closure pickup and applying member carried by and movable with said housing, said member including an element provided with an intermediate portion slightly larger than the preformed opening in the wall of said closure, said element being insertable through and frictionally engageable with the walls of said preformed opening during lowering of the housing for supporting the closure during elevation and subsequent lowering of the housing to effect applica tion of the closure to a container.

2. Closure applying apparatus particularly adapted for applying to containers press fit dispensing inserts of a semiresilient material having a preformed central dispensing opening in the end wall thereof, said apparatus comprising means for gripping and supporting a container, means for supporting an insert, a-ve-rtically reciprocable housing movable in a rotary path in alignment with the container, means for reciprocating said housing, and an insert pickup and pressure applying member carried by and mounted for vertical movement in said housing, means for resiliently urging said member in an outwardly extended position, said member comprising a rod having a pressure applying surface and a pin extended from said surface insertable through and frictionally engageable with the walls of said preformed opening upon lowering of the housing at one position of operation, said pin having an enlarged diameter intermediate portion adapted to stretch the walls of said opening when passed therethrough and permitting contraction thereof about a portion of the pin beyond said intermediate portion for supporting the insert during elevation and subsequent lowering of the housing to effect press fit application of the insert into the mouth of the container at a second position of operation, said resilient means permitting retracting movement of the member during the pressing operation, the frictional engagement of the pin with the walls of the preformed opening being less than the press fit engagement of the insert with the container 'to-permit withdrawal of the pin during elevation of the housing upon completion of the pressing operation without displacement of the insert in the gripped container.

3. Closure applying apparatus particularly adapted for applying to containers press fit closures having a preformed opening in an end wall thereof, said apparatus comprising means for supporting a container, a vertically reciprocable housing, means for reciprocating the housing, and a closure pickup and pressure applying member carried by and movable with said housing, said member comprising a rod having a pressure applying surface engageable with said end wall of the closure, and a pin extending from said surface insertable through and frictionally engageable with the walls of said preformed opening during lowering of the housing at one position of operation for supporting the closure during subsequent elevation and transfer to a second position of operation in alignment with the container whereat the housing is lowered to effect press fit application of the closure to a container, said pin being provided with an intermediate portion slightly larger in diameter than the preformed opening in said end wall, said large diameter portion effecting stretching of the walls of the opening and permitting contraction thereof about the pin when extended beyond said large diameter portion.

4. Closure applying apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the closure pickup and pressure applying member is mounted for vertical movement in said housing, and resilient means for normally maintaining the member in its vertically extended position and permitting vertical retracting movement of the member in the housing during the pressing operation.

5. Closure applying apparatus particularly adapted for applying to containers press fit closures having a pre- 3 ing, and a closure pickup and pressure applying member carried by and movable with said housing, said member comprising a rod having a pressure applying surface engageable with said end wall of the closure, and a pin eX- tending from said surface insertablev through and fric tionally engageable with the walls of said preformed opening during lowering of the housing at one position of operation for supporting the closure during subsequent elevation and transfer to a second position of operation in alignment with the container whereat the housing is lowered to effect press fit application of the closure to a container, said pin being defined by a lower pointed conical portion and an upper portion defining a frustum of a cone wherein the large end of the cone coincides with the large end of the frustum providing an intermediate large diameter portion slightly larger in diameter than said preformed opening, the small end of the frustum lying in the plane of the pressure applying surface.

6. Closure applying apparatus particularly adapted for applying closures having a preformed opening in a wall thereof, said apparatus comprising a closure pickup and applying member including a pin provided with an intermediate portion slightly larger than the preformed opening, said pin being insertable through and frictionally engageable with the Walls of said preformed opening for supporting the closure during application to a container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,048 Everett June 1, 1937 2,694,517 Pennestri Nov. 16, 1954 2,840,970 Brown July 1, 1958 

